adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/prɪˈzəːvətɪv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R IY0 Z ER1 V AH0 T IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Tending to preserve.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The curators took preservative actions to maintain the ancient collection.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any agent, natural or artificial, that acts to preserve, especially when added to food.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Salt, sugar, and acid all act as preservatives when making pickles.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
tending or having the power to preserve
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
timbers should be treated with a preservative substance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a chemical compound that is added to protect against decay or decomposition
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: compound, chemical compound
Narrower terms: spice
History
Etymology
From Old French preservatif, from Medieval Latin praeservativus.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
предпазващ
(predpazvašt)
— tending to preserve
Chinese Mandarin:
防腐的
(fángfǔ de)
— tending to preserve
Finnish:
säilyttävä
— tending to preserve
Galician:
preservativo
— tending to preserve
Galician:
preservativa
— tending to preserve
Greek:
συντηρητικός
(syntiritikós)
— tending to preserve
Irish:
leasaitheach
— tending to preserve
Italian:
preservativo
— tending to preserve
Polish:
zapobiegawczy
— tending to preserve
Portuguese:
preservador
— tending to preserve
Slovak:
konzervačný
— tending to preserve
Spanish:
preservativo
— tending to preserve
Arabic:
مَادَّة حَافِظَة
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Catalan:
preservador
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Chinese Mandarin:
防腐劑 /防腐剂
(fángfǔjì)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Czech:
konzervant
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Danish:
konserveringsmiddel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Dutch:
conserveermiddel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Dutch:
bewaarmiddel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Estonian:
säilitusaine
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Finnish:
säilöntäaine
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
French:
conservateur
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
French:
préservateur
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Galician:
conservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Georgian:
კონსერვანტი
(ḳonservanṭi)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
German:
Konservierungmittel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Greek:
συντηρητικό
(syntiritikó)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Hungarian:
tartósítószer
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Indonesian:
bahan pengawet
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Italian:
conservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Japanese:
防腐剤
(bōfuzai)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Norwegian Bokmål:
konserveringsmiddel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Norwegian Nynorsk:
konserveringsmiddel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Polish:
konserwant
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Polish:
środek konserwujący
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Portuguese:
preservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Portuguese:
conservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Romanian:
conservant
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Russian:
консерва́нт
(konservánt)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Spanish:
conservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Spanish:
preservante
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Spanish:
preservativo
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Swedish:
konserveringsmedel
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Turkish:
koruyucu
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Ukrainian:
консерва́нт
(konservánt)
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Vietnamese:
chất bảo quản
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve
Welsh:
cadwolyn
— any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve